Jaco Pastorius
Holiday For Pans

Jaco Pastorius - 'Holiday for Pans'

Tracks:
1) Mysterious Mountain,
2) Elegant People,
3) Good Morning Annya,
4) She's Leaving Home,
5) Holiday For Pans,
6) Giant Steps,
7) City Of Angels,
8) Birth Of Island

with: Wayne Shorter, Don Alias, Othello Molineaux, Leroy Williams, Mike Gerber, Toots Thielemans, Bobby Economou, Kenwood Denard, Ted Lewand, Peter Graves, Craig Thayler, Michael Gibbs Orchestra

In 1982 Jaco proposed some tapes to the Warner Bros. executives, who deemed them “esoteric” and lacking major commercial prospects. Not only did they refuse to release the album, but they also decided to terminate Jaco's contract, ultimately exacerbating the manic-depressive disorders that afflicted him.

Shelved away, it was vainly dusted off repeatedly in the last years of the musician's life in an attempt to get it published, secure a new contract, and thus an unlikely revival. The historical parabola of 'Holiday for Pans' can be likened to that of many other records by numerous music legends on which every attempt has been made to capitalize.
After Jaco’s death, the tapes ended up in the hands of Kenny Jackel, a sound technician and aspiring impresario, who tried to sell them to various U.S. labels before finding a buyer in Japan. An unauthorized release of the tapes occurred, but only after being subjected to the disgrace of some sordid posthumous bass overdubs.

The version of the album I was lucky enough to hear is the original, free of overdubs and consisting of eight tracks, three of which were composed by Jaco, Good Morning Annya, City of Angels, and Birth of the Island, plus five covers. Numerous guests are present, among whom the saxophone of Wayne Shorter stands out, although the leading role is undoubtedly played by Othello Molineaux, Jaco's great friend and virtuoso of the steel pans (from which the album's name also derives).
The album opens with an excerpt from Allan Hovaness's masterpiece of contemporary music, Mysterious Mountain, with a string arrangement by Michael Gibbs performed by some members of the L.A. Philharmonic; the track is very beautiful and simply moving despite its short duration; it represents the perfect calling card for an ambitious project which, in my opinion, is truly successful and worthy of a great musician and composer such as Jaco. In the track, and this is the only contact point with those from Warner, lies an esoteric aftertaste that only increases the charm of a truly unique composition.

A touching reinterpretation of the Weather Report classic by Shorter, Elegant People, follows; although somewhat formulaic in structure and interpretation, the piece is enriched by excellent work from Molineaux and a great performance by our Jaco. Good Morning Annya is the first original composition of the album; the cheerful melody is supported by the steel pans and accompanied by drums marking a lively reggae rhythm; this work, only seemingly bright, is actually tinged with slight melancholy, mirroring the mood of a tormented genius. She’s Leaving Home by the Beatles is presented here in a fragile and rarefied version, simply splendid, while the title track was Jaco's ingenious adaptation of the agile and very famous theme by David Rose, Holiday for Strings.
Giant Steps, one of John Coltrane’s masterpieces, was again interpreted in a very interesting manner by Othello Molineaux, while the following City Of Angels was a track signed by Pastorius with a more properly jazz-oriented structure. The album concludes with Birth of Island, a long and interesting percussive jubilation, the child of a choral and completely improvised session with the musicians participating in the rest of the album.

The third studio album by John Francis Pastorius III has yet to see an official release, although its future publication is more than conceivable; those who love Jaco cannot remain indifferent to this splendid and touching project, whose traumatic failure marked the point of no return for this marvelous artist.